1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to control systems for motor vehicles in general, and more particularly to an integrated fluid control system having a vehicle body roll control system and a vehicle torque control system operated by a common source of a fluid pressure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various torque control systems provided to regulate a drive torque distribution between drive wheels of the motor vehicle in order to improve drive traction of the motor vehicle on a road surface, are known, such as limited slip differentials employed to automatically limit slip and bias the torque distribution between a pair of rotary members. Typically, such systems are hydraulically actuated and, thus, require a source of a hydraulic pressure, such as a hydraulic pump.
Also, known are vehicle body roll control systems that include hydraulic power actuators coupled between sprung and unsprung masses of the motor vehicle and adapted to apply a force in opposition to a rolling displacement of a body of the vehicle due to lateral acceleration of the vehicle, and so counteract the vehicle body roll. Conventionally, the vehicle body roll control systems are also hydraulically actuated and require a source of a hydraulic pressure.
Normally, each of the torque control system and the body roll-control system are provided with a separate, dedicated hydraulic pump that increases complexity and overall cost of the motor vehicle. Therefore, it is the intent of this invention to overcome these shortcomings of the prior art by providing a common source of a fluid pressure to operate both the vehicle body roll control system and the vehicle torque control system.